Rise of the Heroes
by Katherine RhubarbVT
Summary: There's adventure afoot, a town to save and a secret to be revealed. Larry-Boy faces a tough decision that would change his life. Should he trust his friends with his secret? Or will it put them in danger? The story explains the origin of the League of Incredible Vegetables.
1. Bumblyburg's Hero

The ordinary day at Bumblyburg turned out… not so ordinary. A giant robot attacked the city and the people ran rampant around the streets, panicking. Every time the robot stepped, the ground shook. Inside the robot was a veggie driven to a goal to rule over Bumblyburg.

"Ha ha ha! Scream all you want, pests! Soon I will rule Bumblyburg!" the villain laughed.

"Not so fast there, villain!" someone yelled.

"Wha—?"

"I AM THAT HERO!" Larry-Boy yelled.

All eyes turned to see Larry-Boy swinging with his super suction ears, building to building. He targeted on plunger ear to the giant robot's legs and he wound around its legs to avoid it from stomping and walking. The villain let out a cry of annoyance as his robot fell to its knees, defeated.

Larry-Boy made his way inside the robot and he scowled at the villain who scowled back at him.

"Sorry, buddy. But you're spending your days in detention." Larry-Boy smirked.

Cops appeared behind him and picked the villain up, officially arresting him.

Moments later, the TV screens of Bumblyburg fixated on one channel where Petunia Rhubarb reported Larry-Boy's latest feat.

"And so, Larry-Boy once again saved our lives in the wrath of a treacherous villain. With me is none other than Larry-Boy himself." Petunia turned to Larry-Boy. "Larry-Boy, how is it you maintain to be brave in all you missions? Your foes either outnumber you ten to one or are much larger than your size!"

"All it takes is the thought of saving my people and trusting God. Those are the words I live by. I'm sure everyone in Bumblyburg can do the same in their everyday lives." Larry-Boy replied.

Petunia turned to the camera. "And there you have it, folks. This is Petunia Rhubarb, reporting live in Bumblyburg park."

"And cut!" Jerry said.

"Nice job there, Petunia." Larry-Boy commented.

"You did way better in saving the world today." Petunia smiled.

"So… do you mind for a walk in the park?" Larry-Boy asked.

"A walk in the park sounds nice."

Few hours later, Petunia and Larry-Boy were sitting on a bench holding a cup of latte in their "hands", laughing and talking with each other as the sun began to set. Their laughing ceased and was replaced with awkward silence. Petunia hung her head and bit her lip. Then she turned to Larry-Boy.

"Larry-Boy, do you trust me?" Petunia asked.

"Of course, I do! You're one of the people I trust the most." LB replied.

"Well, I was thinking of asking you something."

Larry-Boy got suspicious. He looked at Petunia and asked, "What?"

"We've known each other for a really long time now. You helped me escape from villains and I help you informing about the new dangers in the city. I know this is a very big favor to ask, but…"

"But, what?"

"Who… who are you? I mean, the real you. The guy under the mask,"

Larry-Boy's eyes widened. He turned from Petunia and looked somewhere else. Petunia hated it if Larry-Boy did that.

"Um… see… it's complicated." LB muttered.

"I thought you trusted me!" Petunia reasoned.

"I know! I do! It's just that…"

"What? Is it because I'm a reporter? I promise, I won't tell anyone. This secret is between you and me."

"It's not that. Look, I know you won't tell anyone, but the fact is—"

Larry-Boy's signal beeped and he rolled his eyes. Petunia sighed and sulked.

"Give me a minute?"

Petunia scoffed. Not that LB didn't do this before, but it sort of broke the moment. Larry-Boy pulled out his phone and the screen buzzed. Alfred appeared there.

"LB, we're having some serious problems in Bumblyburg," Alfred started.

"_I'm_ having a serious problem here." LB mumbled.

"I need you to go back to the Larry Cave. Alfred out,"

The screen turned to black and LB faced Petunia again.

"Look, it's not that I don't trust you or anything. But… I—"

"You what?" Petunia scoffed grumpily.

"I- I'm afraid of what you'll think of me when you find out I'm just someone else."

Petunia froze. Larry-Boy braved evil villains and giant robots. But he's afraid to spill a secret to his friend? She watched as the Larry Mobile dashed to Larry-Boy's side and as LB hopped in it. She watched him before he left her. He gave her an apologetic look, his eyes sending a clear message: _I'm sorry_. The Larry Mobile dashed out of sight as her hair whipped against the wind. All she could think of was one of Larry-Boy's greatest fears: the revelation of his identity.

* * *

**Just a heads up, I'll be including Larry-Boy Cartoon Superheroes in the story. Just the superheroes. No villains, other characters or whatever. Just the superheroes that showed up at Bok Choy's class. Oh! Bok Choy will be here, too! But that's just it. :]**

**Disclaimer: Larry/ Larry-Boy, don't own him. Petunia? Nope. Larry Mobile? I wish I had one, but no. Veggie Tales? I plan on working there and becoming an apprentice, but the rights aren't mine. :(**


	2. Larry-Boy to Larry

Larry-Boy entered his secret cave and got off the Larry Mobile.

"Alfred, you just disturbed a really good moment." Larry-Boy complained.

"Ha! Right. Talking with Petunia again?" Alfred teased.

"Alfred… it's not like that."

"From what I heard, you two are dating."

"ALFRED!"

Alfred managed to laugh. "Oh, I was only kidding, Master Larry."

"What is it?"

"Well, most recently, Bumblyburg's ice cream shops seemed to be low on business." Alfred showed LB the screen where there was a map of Bumblyburg and its ice cream shops were marked with a green spot. Half of the spots turned red, indicating that their businesses are in jeopardy.

"What does this concern one of the greatest superheroes in the veggie history?" Larry-Boy asked, confused.

"Not all ice cream shops can go down to business at the same time. Plus, it's the middle of July. You know how it is with Bumblyburg and ice creams." Alfred informed.

"Oh, yeah. Don't remind me of the great heat tantrum of '07." LB recalled.

"The point is… this is all the work of a thief." Alfred said. The screen showed the recording of a CCTV camera and the ice cream thief scampering swiftly.

"Oh, boy." Larry-Boy croaked.

"I'm still starting with the investigation. I'm just letting you know in case you suspect anything." Alfred stated.

"Okay. Can I hit the sack now?"


	3. Clumsy Larry

The following day, there were no villains, no world domination wishes or freaky attacks. It was a simple day. Which meant that Larry-Boy had to be the ordinary Larry this day, working for the TV company as a clumsy employee. He entered the building and suddenly slipped on the wet floor. Larry stood up as quickly and gave everyone who stared a smile of embarrassment.

"Whoops." Larry giggled.

The people just rolled their eyes and went back to business.

"Are you okay?" Petunia asked, appearing beside him.

"AHHH! Jeez, Petunia! You scared the jeepers out of me!" Larry complained.

Petunia raised an eyebrow. "Sorry."

"Before you gave me a wake up-call, yeah, I'm fine." Larry answered sarcastically.

"I talked to Larry-Boy yesterday." Petunia swooned as they walked to the conference room.

"Oh yeah? What did he say?" Larry asked, curious of what she thought about their conversation the last day.

"Oh, nothing. We just talked and talked…" Petunia's voice faltered.

"Then?" Larry encouraged.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Why?"

"Because I've always thought he was loyal, caring, sweet and all that stuff, but he's afraid of me!"

"Pshaw! I wouldn't think Larry…Boy's afraid of you! I think he's just concerned for your safety!"

"Well… yeah, if you put it that way… but… I don't think he trusts me that much."

"I believe he trusts you a lot. I mean, you're dating, right? He wouldn't have gone out with you unless he really trusted you to keep his secrets. It's just that some secrets are meant to be hidden." Larry defended himself.

"You sound like Larry-Boy." Petunia narrowed her eyes.

Larry froze. "Um… big fan."

"Huh." Petunia laughed. "And I'm thinking that Larry-Boy's secret identity would be you."

Though Petunia laughing was kind of insulting, Larry laughed along… insincerely, of course. "Yeah. That would be insane. I mean, why would the worst employee here be the greatest superhero in history?"

"Don't beat yourself up. You can be like Larry-Boy… that is if you wanted to." Petunia said.

"Yeah…"

Petunia walked first in the conference room, leaving Larry alone to grind in his thoughts. He really wanted to ask her out… as Larry not as Larry-Boy. But the last time he did, Petunia refused it because she said that she was going out with LB and she didn't want him to be jealous. All Larry wanted is for some people, aside from Alfred, to like him for who he is. Not just a big time superhero.

He entered the conference room and prepared for the worst day ahead of him.


	4. Two Problems, One Friend

"I'm so sorry you lost your job." Petunia sympathized.

"I can't believe it! Just because I spilled coffee on his briefcase _accidentally_, it doesn't mean that I'm highly irresponsible!" Larry rambled angrily.

"I know…"

"He had to mention that I'm a fraud to my family in front of the company even though I'm not?! He said that I'm too dependent on my family's wealthy business that I can't do anything for myself!" Larry yapped while packing his stuff in a box, preparing to leave.

"I know. I was there…" Petunia sang.

"It's impossible! I can't be perfect! I'm no good guy!"

"Listen, you can prove yourself. Look at Larry-Boy. He—"

"I DO NOT want to talk about Larry-Boy right now." Larry pointed out angrily.

Petunia immediately shut her mouth. Larry may be a happy-go-lucky guy… once. But when he's angry, she just doesn't want to mess up with him. He keeps avoiding Larry-Boy in their conversations and she doesn't know why. Larry-Boy is loved by all and feared by the villains. She never knew there was a "hater".

"I was just trying to help you get some inspiration." Petunia said.

"Yeah, well, Larry-Boy doesn't inspire me at work. I don't like that guy. He takes everything good out of my life."

"Like what?! Me?" Now it was Petunia's turn to be mad.

"What?"

"Just because I declined your generous offer for a date, it doesn't mean that you should hate Larry-Boy!" Petunia reasoned.

"It's not about that!" Larry retorted.

"Then what is it about?!" Petunia inquired.

Larry shifted. How should he answer this to her? He's scared of what she may think. Larry shook his head and slumped down his seat, exhaling in annoyance.

"You won't get it. No one has and no one ever will." Larry muttered.

"What don't I get? I'm your friend. You can tell me anything." Petunia softened.

"Easy for you to say. You're not La—… you're not me. It doesn't matter anymore."

"Larry…"

"Just leave. I want some time alone." Larry sighed.

Petunia was hesitant to leave. But she had to. She was so confused and alone. Now both her most trusted friends seem to not trust her. Both of them have a secret. But they don't have the guts to tell her. All she wanted was to help them. But what more could she do? Yet, she didn't know that her two friends have the same problem, the same frustration and were the same person.

* * *

**FYI, I didn't base Larry's secret identity to the LarryBoy Cartoons. I just made this one up. As I told you before, the only reference from the LarryBoy Cartoons are Larry-Boy's fellow superheroes... and Bok Choy.**


	5. Aye Scream For No Cream

Larry wasn't in the mood to save the town, battle villains or receive recognition. He wanted to be alone. He wanted to be himself. But the whole world denies that fact. He got inside his mansion, inside the Larry Cave and slumped down on the office chair, burying his face on the office table. Alfred appeared from the kitchen with freshly made brownies. Tempting, but Larry wasn't in the mood.

"Oh! Good afternoon, Master Larry! How was work today?" Alfred asked.

"Worst. Day. Of my entire life," Larry mumbled.

"Your things are packed. How come?"

"Long story short, my career in the TV company hit a reef."

"Oh. I'm so sorry."

"Why can't I be both Larry and Larry-Boy? When I am Larry-Boy, people expect a lot from me. When I'm Larry, nobody expects anything of me at all. I'm just some lonely goon depending on my family's money, they said." Larry moaned.

"Fight with Petunia again?" Alfred pitied.

"She doesn't understand both sides of me. Alfred, I want to tell her my secret. She's slipping away. She thinks that I don't trust her anymore."

Alfred got beside his best friend to comfort him. "Master Larry, I know that these things are weighing you down. And I'm sorry for your bad day. But, with all due respect, may we get down to business?"

Larry sighed. He forgot that Alfred was the only person he can be himself: Larry and Larry-Boy. He can hear it in his voice, though it hurt Larry so much, that he needed him to be Larry-Boy once more. Bumblyburg needed him, too. Larry sat up and slouched.

"Fine. What's up with the ice cream thief?" Larry asked, turning to the concerned Larry-Boy.

"Well, his signals are hard to track. But if we can navigate him, there would be an easier chance to stop him. I discovered that his next target it Aye Scream." Alfred stated.

"The pirate themed ice cream shop?! NO!" Larry shook his head.

"Sorry that the news of your favorite ice cream shop weighed in to your dilemma. But it's the fact. When are you ready to investigate? His mission starts two hours this afternoon."

"An hour before the heist, if I can." Larry shrugged.

His cellphone rang. Alfred gave his boss a weird look because the ringtone was the theme of Handy Pod. Larry scoffed and pulled out his cellphone from his pocket. It was Petunia.

"_Larry-Boy?_" Petunia asked.

"Yeah. I'm here." Larry-Boy replied.

"_Listen. Our talk got interrupted yesterday and I want to hear more of it. If you don't mind, we can talk some more?_" Petunia's voice croaked.

"Aw, gee… I can't. There's this new villain coming up and he'll be coming within two hours." Larry-Boy replied.

"_Well, let's make the talk shorter. We can meet in Aye Scream if you want to._" Petunia suggested.

"Huh." LB managed a small smile. Must be a coincidence. "Okay. I'll meet you there."

Petunia hung up. Alfred looked at Larry as if asking: _What is it?_

"Petunia wanted to meet me in Aye Scream. Besides, the mission will be there, right?" Larry said.

"Okay. Let me know if there's anything wrong in there." Alfred reminded.

Larry stepped up to his dressing room (no pun intended) with his duffel bag that contained his Larry-Boy suit. He opened the door and paused. He enjoyed both sides of him. But it required something out of him. But he had to be Larry-Boy. He is the hero. And Bumblyburg needed one.

"Sure."

* * *

While Larry-Boy waited for Petunia, his eyes scanned left to right, up and down for the ice cream thief. Something was terribly wrong. The place was too quiet. One and a half hour had passed, still no sign of Petunia or the thief. He was tempted to go in Aye Scream and buy chocolate ice cream, but he controlled himself and remembered his lesson about temptation.

A huge shadow loomed over Aye Scream. _Probably the clouds_, Larry-Boy thought. But, boy, was he wrong. Petunia appeared at the other side of the block. Larry-Boy smiled to greet her, but observed something else. Above Petunia was a shiny silver metal that covered the sun. A door opened and light spilled out; kinda like an alien abduction. Larry-Boy knew that Petunia was in danger and in split seconds, she'd be in WORSE danger.

"PETUNIA!" Larry-Boy warned loudly.

"Larry-Boy, I—"

The light loomed over her and she quickly rose to the air. Petunia screamed and struggled to get down to the ground. But the force was too strong. It's not just her. Ice cream also rose to the air. But LB didn't pay much attention to that anymore.

"Petunia!" LB yelled.

"Larry-Boy, help!" Petunia begged.

Larry-Boy activated one of his suction ears and stuck it on the spacecraft. He propelled himself to the air and swung to the light to grab Petunia. Unfortunately, the force _was_ too strong. Larry-Boy, too, was lifted up to the spacecraft. But he reached to Petunia and assured her that she'd be safe.

"Hold on!" LB ordered.

Petunia braced herself for what may come. So did Larry-Boy.

* * *

**I didn't put on a pun on the "Force was too strong" phrase. It was a happy accident. Actually, I got my story saved already, I just wanted a cliffhanger. :] Sorry, guys who hate cliffhangers. Happy new year!**


	6. The Fury of Flurry

An evil chuckle was the first thing that Larry-Boy expected when he was about to see the villain. A very chilly place that felt like Antarctica? That's wasn't even on his list. Petunia shivered beside him. The moment they got to the top, they were wound with a rope and were set aside.

"He he he! At last! Larry-Boy has been captured! And look… he brought his girlfriend with him." A voice with a German accent chuckled.

"Show yourself!" Larry-Boy demanded.

A chair turned around and Larry-Boy saw probably the oldest villain he ever faced. His grey hair was standing, his eyebrows were thick and he had a grey mustache and he wore a lab coat. He didn't really look like a villain. More like a mad scientist that needed a haircut.

"Welcome, visitors! I am Dr. Flurry!" Dr. Flurry introduced in a German accent.

"Dr. Flurry?" Petunia asked.

"Where'd did that name come from?" Larry teased.

Dr. Flurry laughed. "Oh, Larry-Boy! I thought the Bumblyburg's superhero would be a lot more fiercer than that!"

"He _is_ fierce! He's the bravest, fiercest and most selfless person I've ever known!" Petunia defended.

Dr. Flurry laughed again. Petunia scowled at him; Dr. Flurry's laughter faltered. "Well it's about time for you to see my master plan…"

"What do you want, Dr. Flurry? And what does it have to do with Bumblyburg's ice cream?" LB demanded.

"Well, I was thinking of a way to claim Bumblyburg in a powerful yet villainous way. That's when I thought of using fear against Bumblyburg. And I needed something else. Instead of cowering, I wanted Bumblyburg to _freeze _in fear. I have tons of ice, but I need the ice cream to maintain the ice's coolness. Fabulous idea, no?" Dr. Flurry bragged.

"Wait, if you're gonna freeze Bumblyburg with fear, how're you going to do that?" Petunia asked.

"Oh, excellent question, young lady."

"Villains. They're always telling their master plan when they shouldn't. Good thing there's an interviewer here." LB whispered.

Petunia blushed. Though it seemed like Larry-Boy was scared of her, it was relieving to find out that he needs her.

"Watch and learn." Dr. Flurry instructed.

On the screen is a sample of the weapon for freezing people. LB and Petunia saw a person cowering in fear. The weapon seems to be absorbing that fear and when the machine was fully charged, it froze the person to solid ice. They both gasped simultaneously as Dr. Flurry chuckled evilly.

"Of course, I need a portable one for easy escape. That's why I'm making improvements. And within the next twenty four hours, I will freeze everyone and Bumblyburg will be mine!" Dr. Flurry chortled.

"You'll never get away with this, Dr. Flurry!" Larry-Boy glared.

"Eh, you may think that way, but no. I will use your own fears against you. So there's no stopping me now, ja?" Dr. Flurry said.

Larry-Boy and Petunia suddenly moved backwards… or was it the floor that they're sitting on was moving backwards? They were trapped inside a see-through refrigerator. The atmosphere in the freezer was three times colder than Dr. Flurry's spacecraft.

"Comfy? Then, congratulations! You're the first one to taste the wrath of my latest invention."

As the evil mad scientist giggled, he pushed a button that said FREEZE. As soon as he did, the temperature of the freezer dropped lower and lower. In fear and in hopelessness, Larry-Boy and Petunia had nothing to do but shiver, causing Dr. Flurry's device to charge. Dr. Flurry exited the room and the two were left alone, waiting their own death.

"What should we do?" Petunia worried.


	7. Scarcity of Escape

"I'm sorry, Petunia. I tried, but I just led you to danger." Larry-Boy yapped.

"Wait." Petunia realized.

"And I'm sorry if I hadn't been a good friend lately. I should have told you my secret when I had the chance!" LB continued.

"Quiet! I'm thinking!" Petunia scolded.

"Now, Bumblyburg is in conquest because of me! They're all doomed!"

"Stop crying, Larry!"

Larry-Boy stopped his pity party. "What did you call me?"

"Uh… sorry. I meant Larry-Boy." Petunia stammered.

Petunia bit her tongue for she might mention that name again. Could it be possible that she was missing Larry? She did feel really guilty after their little spat. They were friends for a long time and she didn't want Larry-Boy to think of it as another issue. In Larry-Boy's mind, however, he was worried that Petunia might be suspecting something. Though he wanted to tell his identity, he did want Petunia to be safe. And knowing a superhero's identity can be very dangerous.

"Anyways, we need to get out of here and warn Bumblyburg. There's still twenty four hours till we all freeze to death." Petunia said.

"I was thinking the same thing. Any ideas?" LB asked.

"Aren't there any useful tools on your utility belt?"

"Well, let's see."

Larry-Boy checked his belt for a useful tool for escape. Flashlight? No. Tweezers? Nope. Pencil? He didn't even know why it was there, but it wasn't useful either. Finally, he found it.

"Aha!" Larry-Boy shouted.

He attached the screwdriver that he found in his belt to the screw that probably kept them locked inside the freezer. Sure enough, after unscrewing four screws, the door fell down and the glass shattered.

"Lean right! I'll get a shard of glass to cut us free!" Petunia ordered.

"You got it." agreed LB.

Larry-Boy leaned right and Petunia struggled to reach a broken shard of glass. When she reached to one, she cut the rope, setting both of them free. Suddenly, the alarm blared and red lights circled around the room.

"Let's get out of here!" Larry-Boy yelled.

They ran to an escape hatch they found and, together, they opened it.

"Hold onto me!"

"What?"

They had no time. Larry-Boy just pulled Petunia beside him, to Petunia's shock, and activated one suction ear. The ear stuck to a building below them and Larry-Boy jumped off the spacecraft before Dr. Flurry showed up. As they fell, they screamed their minds out.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" They yelled.

When Larry-Boy realized they were about to hit the building, he activated the other suction ear and swung around the city. They finally reached the ground and LB order Petunia to lay low. Dr. Flurry's spacecraft passed, but the duo remained unseen due to hiding. The ship was gone and they came out of hiding.

"That was a close call." Petunia croaked.

"Where are we?" LB wondered.

They spotted a billboard with a welcoming remark that said: "_Welcome to Scar City!_"

"Wow. Who would name a city like that?" LB badgered.

Petunia was about to say something when someone—or maybe two of them— called her name.

"PETUNIA?!"

* * *

**Hi, guys! Hope you liked it. Apparently, I don't have much to say. But thank you for the kind reviews. :)**

**P.S. The penguins will be there soon. It's just Dr. Flurry for now. If you're wondering where's the other superheroes, patience. They're appearing nearer than you think. And... no. They weren't the ones who called Petunia's names.**


	8. S-Caping Scar City

The couple turned around to see a tomato and a gourd, smiling.

"Bob?! Mr. Lunt?!"

"Petunia!" Bob and Mr. Lunt greeted.

Petunia bent down to hug her friends. "Aww… it's good to see you guys!"

"Wow! You've… changed a lot since college." Mr. Lunt remarked.

"You've never seen me on TV?" Petunia wondered.

"We moved here because of bad jobs in Bumblyburg. Apparently, Bumblyburg was a city of abundance. There were too much people. Being the last ones on the jobs, businesses didn't accept us." Bob explained.

"So we moved here for a better life! In case you haven't noticed, these people are in need of good mechanics and barbers around here." Mr. Lunt added.

Bob rolled his eyes and toyed with a screwdriver in his hands that came from his tool belt. "Oh, ho ho! Don't get me started on the short circuit thing! It was pretty annoying!"

"And the noticeably too long hair? Ugh! The horror!" Lunt shivered.

Petunia cleared her throat and the two friends faced her.

"Bob, Mr. Lunt, I want you to meet Larry-Boy. Larry-Boy, these are my friends in college." Petunia introduced.

"Larry-Boy?! As in _THE_ Larry-Boy?!" Bob's eyes widened.

"How'd he get here?!" Mr. Lunt asked.

"Long story," LB shrugged.

"Why's he with you?" Bob asked. Then, his questioning look turned to a sly, teasing one. "Are you dating?"

LB and Petunia looked at each other nervously.

"What are you talking about?" LB blabbed.

"What?! NO! We aren't… we—" Petunia giggled fretfully.

"Yeah… it's not…"

Bob and Mr. Lunt's expression demanded the truth. The couple sighed and nodded.

"Yes." Larry-Boy admitted.

"Yeah. We're going out."

"Told you Petunia landed on that superhero." whispered Mr. Lunt.

"Fellas, fellas, please. Larry-Boy and I really need your help." Petunia interrupted.

"Within the next twenty-three hours, the entire city of Bumblyburg would be frozen by some crazy mad scientist. I left my Mobile at Bumblyburg and we need some transportation… fast!" LB informed.

"Nice motivational speech from the town's superhero." Mr. Lunt said sarcastically.

"Well, you're in luck because I happen to be the best mechanic of this city! The only mechanic, that is. But I'll try to whip up something." Bob thought.

"Thanks, guys. I knew I could still count on you." Petunia sighed.

As the three old friends walked to Bob's shop, LB followed them behind. HE was so nervous seeing that tomato and gourd. When they first noticed him, he was sure they were trying to remember someone familiar. Frankly, he _was_ someone familiar. In fact, he knew them. To his surprise, the trio opened up to a new topic of conversation.

"Hey, do any of you still remember our other friend _Larry_?" Bob asked.

They did remember. And it just ticked Larry-Boy off.

* * *

**Hi, guys! Sorry for the late update. The Internet's running slow here and I couldn't get the chance to update. So... yeah. Bob's a mechanic because I saw him as ThingamaBob, fixing his motorcycle. I believe it was called BobCycle. I don't remember. Correct me if that's wrong. I just edited his ThingamaBob tool belt for the cover photo. Go see it if you want. And Mr. Lunt's a barber because that was the only job I could think for him. Plus his career would be needed and can come handy in the later part of the story.**

**An answer to ww38's question, a heat tantrum is something that I made up, but it's true. Here in my country, there are days when it's burning hot. It annoys people and they just get bad vibes for the rest of the day. Some of them complain too much, they trash talk, they get mad, etc. That's why I called it a heat tantrum. I try to avoid it by eating ice cream or something else that's cold.**


	9. The Heat, the Dust and the Thingy

"Oh, yeah! I remember him. Ha! That was one clumsy cuke." Mr. Lunt reminisced.

"You bet! But he's okay. I was thinking he'd be with Petunia 'cause, you know." Bob said.

Petunia stopped for a while, looking down. She suddenly felt a wash of guiltiness and regret inside. She didn't know why, but she felt like she's being watched. As if Larry was hearing this right now. Bob and Mr. Lunt looked at Petunia in pure confusion.

"Petunia, what's wrong?" Bob inquired.

"Larry _was_ with me… at work. He got fired and he got mad at me. Now I feel ridiculous. I should've been a better friend." Petunia moaned.

"When was the last time you saw him?" Mr. Lunt added.

"This afternoon, when he was packing his things away,"

"He really likes you, Petunia." Mr. Lunt confirmed.

"I know."

"Don't you like him back?"

"I…"

She realized that Larry-Boy was right behind her. His concerned and sad eyes made Petunia confused about how she felt. She didn't know, though, that the Larry inside him wanted to know if she did. Petunia's tears flowed down her cheeks as she tried to hide them.

"You know what? Let's just get to the shop and get out of here." Petunia chocked.

"Petunia…" Larry-Boy gently said.

But she already sprinted ahead of them, wiping away her tears. LB remained silent and in wonder. He hated it when Petunia cried. He felt guilty of making her feel that way, that he didn't trust her. Bob and Mr. Lunt looked at Larry-Boy.

"It would be okay for me if she just went with the other guy." LB admitted.

"Why?" Bob asked.

"She's safer with him. Look what I've done to her. I just brought her to a mess." Larry-Boy hung his head.

* * *

"So this guy wants to dominate Bumblyburg by turning it to Antarctica?" Mr. Lunt made sure.

"Yup." Larry-Boy replied.

"He's nuts, I tell you!"

"You don't know the half of it." LB rolled his eyes.

"How can a rotten fruit like that survive in such low temperature?!"

"Dunno. I've been wondering about that, too."

"Bob here won't like that. He's a heat man."

"Like the Miami Heat _heat_?"

"No. What I meant was that he's used to hot temperature." Mr. Lunt replied.

"Oh. I thought you were referring to the basketball team."

"Guys, we have a problem." Bob interrupted.

"What?" Larry, Petunia and Lunt asked.

"Apparently, I'm out of stock with some parts. I could ask for a delivery, but it would take us a day to wait."

"But what about Bumblyburg?" Petunia asked.

"I wish I could help, but Bumblyburg's two to three hours away from here!" Bob reminded.

"Now what? We can't just expect help to fall from the sky." Mr. Lunt said.

In a split second, something landed on the middle of the road outside Bob's shop and rubble and dust fogged the place up. When Larry-Boy's vision was beginning to become clear, he saw three shapes walking in the dust. The first one seemed to be hovering on thin hair and has a really weird hair-do. The second was so big and was buzzing electricity. The third was the smallest of them all and LB saw a hint of purple and a cape flapping against the wind.

Larry-Boy's eyes widened. Could it be possibly them? Or was he just seeing this vision by himself? Because those three were walking towards him.

* * *

**Sorry for the short chapter. I'll try to update as soon as I can. In the meantime, just enjoy yourselves. Hope you liked it! ;)**


	10. Home Leaving

"Wait a minute… is that?" LB gasped. "Bok Choy! Electro Melon! Dark Crow!"

The trio turned around and once they saw Larry-Boy, they beamed. "Larry-Boy?!"

"Guys!"

The old friends reunited with a bear hug. Because of Electro Melon's weight, the four fell to the ground. But it only led to their laughter.

"I thought I'd never see you, guys, again!" Larry-Boy smiled.

"It is good to see you again, compadre!" Dark Crow beamed.

"Electro Melon is happy to see you, too!"

"I see that you listened to my lessons." Bok Choy grinned.

"Yup, I did." Larry-Boy remarked as they stood up. "Oh! Where are my manners? Dark Crow, Electro Melon, Master, these are my friends: Bob, Mr. Lunt and Petunia."

"Wow! It's an honor to meet you, guys!" Bob stated.

"And it is a pleasure to meet Larry-Boy's friends." Bok Choy bowed.

"And his girlfriend," added Dark Crow with a teasing grin.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold your horses there, amigo!" LB whispered at Dark Crow. "We're not in that phase yet!"

"Maybe I can help you!"

"Thanks, but I think it's best if we let her heal from this."

"Oh, mi amigo, this is a very difficult situation for you."

LB rolled his eyes. "Yup, it is."

"Why are you here?" Electro Melon growled.

"Oh! There's this villain and he captured me and Petunia. We escaped here and we've only got twenty hours left till Bumblyburg would be—ZAP!— frozen! I could speed up to the town itself, but I've got nothin'! My Larry Mobile is back town!"

"And we are short of supplies and stuff. We can't wait for another delivery. It would take us a day! Bumblyburg would be frozen by then!" Bob added.

Bok Choy though for a while. "Well, we could hand you over some supplies you need. It's just in my garage."

"And I'll give you my spare parts, as a token of our friendship." Dark Crow added.

"Can't we just borrow you vehicle?" Larry-Boy asked.

"I don't have a vehicle, remember? I have portable wings." Dark Crow frowned.

"We not that rich like Larry-Boy." Electro Melon reasoned.

LB laughed nervously. "Now, now. You don't have to point that out in here."

"We'll try to help you in any way we can. But for now, you need to rest a bit. I believe you've encountered quite a situation before you arrived here." Bok Choy advised.

LB sighed. "You've guessed it, Master."

As the four friends talked over with their plans for going to Bumblyburg, they trio behind them simply watched in awe.

"I never knew Larry-Boy would be so…" Bob started.

"Trustworthy? Friendly? Humble? Take your pick." Mr. Lunt added.

"No. You guys knew it. I didn't see it all along." Petunia said.

As Petunia stared at Larry-Boy for a long time, LB noticed that she was looking at him. It wasn't long till the two of them stared at each other. And until Dark Crow got LB's attention back about the plan, they thought of something while they looked at each other. Larry-Boy thought of what will happen next; what will happen if he just stayed away from Petunia to avoid any more danger? What if he never knew her? But, then again, he can't. He relied on her too much that they've become inseparable.

Petunia thought of the missing qualities she didn't see in Larry-Boy. He was good, honest, kind and trustworthy. But why wouldn't he tell her his secret? She didn't care if her life was at stake. If it meant that their friendship would strengthen, she'd want to know. But as she stared longer, she saw a familiar face under LB's mask. Larry's face suddenly flashed before her eyes and her head throbbed badly as her vision went back to the present. She fell on the floor, holding her head, her eyes squeezed close. Could it be?

LB gasped. "Petunia, are you okay?"

The others came to help her up and Bob brought her water in case. "What happened?"

"Nothing." Petunia lied. "I'm fine."

She looked at Larry-Boy once more and observed. If LB was Larry, it would explain that they're both cagey. But maybe he wasn't. Nevertheless, she wasn't sure. She had to keep this thing to herself.

* * *

**Sorry for the very, very, very late update! XP It was either I didn't have time to update because of our Youth and Singles' Ministry practice or I signed a contract with the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything... :D But, really, I was too lazy to update my stories when I had the chance. To make it up to you, guys, I'm updating this chapter and another one to this story and 2 more chapters in Behind the Scenes. Enjoy! :D**


	11. The Big Black Hole (or Dot)

"Alright! The car is fixed and is ready to go! As soon as we fill it with gas..." Bob declared.

"That's not a problem! We can give you gas!" Dark Crow remarked.

"No! Not that kind of gas! I meant gas liquid! Not gas gas!" Bob protested.

"Oh." Electro Melon said.

"I'll buy some at the gas station." Petunia volunteered.

"I can come with you." Larry-Boy suggested.

"Uh... No thanks. I'm good." Petunia said.

"Are you okay? You've been acting... strange lately." LB observed.

"I'm fine, Larry-Boy, really. I just want some time alone." Petunia moaned as she exited the garage.

Larry-Boy wondered what has gotten into her. It seemed like she was keeping something from him. But he couldn't put a word to it. After Petunia got the gas, she walked slowly, distracted by her own thoughts. And since the town was quiet, it wasn't very long until she spoke out her thoughts.

"Could it possibly be? No. Larry can't be Larry-Boy. Larry-Boy's too... brave, noble and heroic to be Larry. Huh. Larry's just a clumsy old employee..." Petunia groaned. "What am I thinking?! Larry's more than that! But... He can't be. It's impossible."

"What is impossible, my dear?" someone from the alley asked.

Petunia gasped. "Ah! Who are you?"

"Not to worry, dear. You know who I am."

The stranger emerged from the darkness of the alley and it was only revealed to be...

"Oh, Master Bok Choy. You startled me." Petunia sighed. "What are you doing in there?

"I had to throw out trash, remember? Now, what is impossible?"

"Oh... it's—uh... It's hard to explain. It's a long story."

"I've got time." Master nodded.

"Well... promise you won't tell anyone. Especially Larry-Boy."

Master bowed and promised.

"Well, I was thinking that Larry-Boy might be my friend Larry back in Bumblyburg which would explain why he's so cagey. But... it can't be! Larry is different from Larry-Boy!" Petunia exclaimed.

"And you're thinking it's impossible because?" Master encouraged her to tell more.

"It's because Larry hates Larry-Boy! Plus, he's to clumsy, boring and irresponsible if he were Larry-Boy! It's simply impossible. I don't know if it's true yet. But..."

"Hold on, Petunia. How long have you known this Larry?" Master asked.

"Since college,"

"So why are you judging him if he's your friend?"

"I'm not judging him! I'm just being realistic!" Petunia reasoned.

"But judging people is when you say what you think of a person. When you judge someone, God doesn't like it. You're hurting the person you judged behind his or her back. In the Superhero Handbook, it says 'Do not judge others or others will judge you.' If this Larry friend of yours is really as horrible as he is, don't look at him the way you look him." Master said.

"Huh?" Petunia wondered.

"Here." Master showed a piece of paper with a big black spot on it. "What do you see?"

"It's a big, black spot."

"See? You are looking at the tiny spot when you could have looked at the plain, white paper. Larry has his own weaknesses and so do you. Everyone does. But you don't have to criticize it. The best thing you can do is help him with his weaknesses and he'll help you with his." Master explained.

"But what if others judge him, too? And you agree with those." Petunia added.

"You know it is wrong. Therefore, don't do wrong. If you can't fight it, keep your mouth shut."

Master hovered further from Petunia, trying to get to the garage first. But before he sped off, he turned around to give Petunia one more piece of advice.

"And remember, Petunia, God looks at the heart, not our weaknesses. So if He does, He expects us to do the same thing."

Master rocketed his way to the garage as Petunia pondered over with what Bok Choy had just said. The white piece of paper that Bok Choy used as a visual aid feathered to the ground, in front of Petunia. She wanted to understand what Bok Choy had just said. But all she saw was the big, black spot.

* * *

**Haha! Gas! Get it?! :D Okay, maybe I destroyed your moment with the black spot. Yey! Bok Choy and gang! :D**


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